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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. season — of the year
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. row — a line
  10. race — a contest
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. cap — a hat
  19. season — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — humankind

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com